Process of making alcohol.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTGE.

FRANK THATCHER, OF

EL PASO, TEXAS, ABS-IGNOR OF ONEHALF TO LUTHER H. STILES, OF HAGHITA, NEW MEXICO.

PROCESS OF MAKING ALCOHOL.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK THATCHER. a citizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Alcohol, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process of making alcohol from sotol (Das'ylirz'on Wheeleri) and the other species of cacti, including nopal (prickly pear), opuntla, cholla, Sechugz'lla, (Agave lechuguilla), C'e reuc gigantem, Echinocactus breoohomotus, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide a process whereby alcohol may be economically produced from plants of this character not hitherto utilized or capable of utilization under prior processes.

In carrying my invention into practice. the sotol or other selected cactus material 3 disintegrated or ground in a suitable machine, after which it is transferred to a di gester. To the mass of cactus material is then added a certain amount of water, and the moistened or saturated mass is then subjected while under constant agitation to the .action of super-heated steam at predetermined temperatures for the extraction of deleterious substances for a period of about two hours, during' iirhich time the temperature of the steam may be varied at the will of the operator within certain limits, until such deleterious substances are freed for discharge and the treatment of the material for the formation of fermentable sugars is completed. After the material has been treated until the saccharin carrying substances are broken down and such substances in condition for fermentation, the deleterious substances referred to are discharged from the digester. The cactus material, which is in a pulpy state, is then removed from the digester and the liquid expressed therefrom in a suitable press, after which the liquid is passed through cooling coils,

by which its temperature is reduced to a desired low degree. The cooled liquor is then placed into suitable fermenting tubs at a temperature most desirable for fermentation, and during the period of fermentation a special prepared yeast is added in sufficient quantities to cause and permit active fermentation. After fermentation is complated, the materi l is distilled in the ordi- Speciflcatlon of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 28,

Patented May 19, 191%- 1913. Serial No. 776,311.

nary way, the alcohol vapors bein com densed and the alcohol run into suite 1e receptacles, while the solid residue is pressed and ground for use as a cattle food in either a solid or meal form. This food product is one which is eaten with avidit} by cattle and constitutes a wholesome and nutritious article of diet.

All species of cactus contain more or less formic acid, which is destructive to ordinary yeast, and the purpose of adding water to the ground material and subjecting the same in a digester to the action of super hwted steam is, in addition to placing the material in condition for fermentation to extract from the material as much of the formic acid as possible, In practice, an amount of water equal to the weight of the material in the digester is added thereto, that is to say, about one ton or 240 gallons of water to each ton of the disintegrated and ground material, and while the agitators in the digcster are he t in constant motion, the temperature of tile mass is gradually raised an der action of the super-heated steam until the temperature reaches about 27 5 F. This treatment is carried out for a period of about two hours, which is ordinarily sufficient to place the material in condition for subsequent treatment, and at this time a valve in the top of the digester is opened, allowing the steam to blow out, carrying with it the extracted formic acid, whereby most of the formic acid is removed. The mass remaining in the digester at this stage is in the form of a pulp, which is removed from the digester and passed through a suitable press, 'whereby the liquid is extracted. The liquid is then passed through cooling coils and is cooled down to a temperature of about 86 IQ. at which temperature it is passed into the fermenting tub. To the liquid is then added the special prepared yeast, which is made from a pure culture of Saecharomxyces cerem'sv'w. In the preparation of the yeast mash equal parts of ground rye and malt are used, to which is added ammonium the proportion of one part of ammonium phosphate to each 1000 arts, by weight of the liquid to be fermented. The ammonium phosphate furnishes yeast food and provides for a vigorous growth. thereby overcoming a I the deleterious influence of the minute quantities of formic acid remaining in terial and promoting fermentation, which is the maphosphate, in

usually completed in about 72 hours. The fermented liquor is then distilled and the alcohol recovered, as hereinbefore described. By means of this process alcohol may be 6 economically produced from plants of the character described not hitherto utilized or capable of being utilized under prior esses.

It will of course, be understood that while 10 the exact mode of treatment defined is preferred, the invention is not limited strictly thereto, as departures may be made as circumstances require. For instance, while an amount of water equal in weight to the ground material is generally used during the process of digestion, more or less water may be used according to the condition of the material to its specific characteristics. The temperature of the super-heated steam may also vary to the temperature usually ranging from 250 F. to 275 F., the heating of the materialbetween these temperatures being ractically essential.. Theimprovement of relieving the material from as much formic acid as possible and rendering the formic acid innocuous infthe process of fermentation will be obvious.

Practical experience has shown that the species of cactus known as 'so'tol (Dasg lz'rion W ieclerz') .is more readily responsive to the process and yields a larger amount of alcohol, and is more desirable for use in residual form as a cattle food, than the other species of cacti named, but the-process will be found effective for the production of alcohol from anyspecies of cacti.

What is claimed is 1. The herein described process of pro- 40 ducing alcohol from cacti, which consists in sub ect-mg the comminuted cacti, with an added amount of-water, while under agita-- tion in a d gester to the action of superheated steam, blowing off the steam with the accord with varying conditions, a

250 to 275 F., in a digester while under agitation, blowing off the steam with the extracted formic acid ordinarily present in the cacti, expressing the liquid from the mass,

subjecting the same to fermentation in the presence of a yeast capable of producing alcoholic fermentation in the presence of the remaining minute quantities of formic iicid,1 and then distilling the fermented .lquir. v 3. The herein described process of producing alcohol from cacti, which consists in first comminuting the cacti, then subjecting thesame with an added amount of water in -a.digester while under agitation tothe action of super-heated steam at a temperature of from 250 to 275 F., then blowing off the steam with the extracted formic acid ordinarily present in the cacti, and then expressing the liquid from the mass, then subjecting the material to fermentation in the presence of a yeast and ammonium phosphate, and then distilling the fermented liqui In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK THATCHER.

W'itncsses': F. V. Bnmc, EDWIN W'. MILLEIL process of prov 

